Tent.



Amm/frs 2 Sheets--Shaet I.

- Patented Oct. 8, |90I.

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(llo Model.)

Patented Oct. 8, I90I. T. D. MGCALL.

T E N T.

(Application med Feb. 2s, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

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ATTUHNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Tl-IADDEUS D. MCCALL, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.`

T E N T SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,086, datedOctober 8, 1901.

Application Vfiled February 28, 1901. Serial No. 49,280. (No model.) I

To ctZZ wir/0711, t may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUs DALE Mc- CALL, of Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tents, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is in the'nature of an improved portable door-tent designed for the use of one or two persons and which tent shall be of such small proportions and light weight as to be easily carried as a part of the bodily outfit and specially adapted to the needs of the hunter, prospector, civil engineer, or soldier. It consists in the special construction and arrangement of the parts of the same, which I will now proceed to describe with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the tent set up. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the tent;

Fig. 2, a detail; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the interlocked distending-ribs. Figs. 4i and 5 are plan views of the bottom of the tent and one of its sides juxtaposed, but laid out iiat; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are details.

In the drawings, (see Fig. 4,) A represents the bottom or floor of the tent, which is made of canvas. This is formed integral with two semicircular ends A A', which are to be turned up into a vertical plane to form the ends of the tent, and which floor has also along the sides the two parallel laps A2 A2, which are to be folded to an upturned position along the dotted lines to receive and connect with the side Walls B of the tent, both of which are made alike and extend outside of and overlap the upturned laps A2 of the floor, which are provided with buttons that button into holes along the lower edges of the side pieces. (See Fig. 7.) The side laps A2 are extended alittle beyond the folding-line of the end pieces A','so as to form the little quadrantal pieces a, Fig. 4, which close up the angle between A and A2 to form a Weather-tight joint when said parts A' A2 are turned up. The side pieces B are also made of canvas and have end ilapsB' at each end that have at the eXtreme edge a marginal hem,in which is permanently arranged a drawcord d, terminating at-one end in a loop d', Whose function will be hereinafter explained. Spring-ribs C are arranged transversely to the side pieces at regular intervals along the same and which-when the two side pieces B B are brought together over the oorA form distending-ribs that give a rounded contourA to the tent when viewed in cross-section. The tops of these ribs are best seen in Fig. 3 and the bottoms in Fig. 8. To give them a rm footing when the tent isV erected and to prevent their lower endsfrom spreading out 0r twisting, said'lower ends are bent into triangular feet, as seen at p, Fig. 8, which feet have metal anchorage-spurs c2, adapted to be forced into the ground by simply placing the toe in the triangular opening and pressing it down. The outer ends of each rib are also fashioned into hooks c, Fig. 3, having each a terminal ball, and when the two ends of two oppositely-facing ribs of the two sides are lapped a suicient distance the hook of one rib embraces .the body of the other rib, while the hook of the other rib embraces the body of the rst-named, thus reciprocally locking and making a sti and braced roof or ridge portion for the tent. The spurs c2, entering the ground, hold the ribs C against twisting or spreading at the bottom. To connect the canvas to these ribs, the latter are formed with loops or eyes c', and these are tied or sewed to the canvas With the ribs inside the same much like those of an umbrella. When the two sides of the tent are thus connected, the extension of one piece or canvas over the other may give sufficient closure of the tent at the top; but, if desired, I may use a separate ridge-strip S, which may be disposed longitudinally along the ridge of the tent to cover the joint, and this ridgestrip may be secured by buttons and buttonholes, as shown, or by any other suit-able means.

The ribs C are normally straight; but when they are connected at the top they spring to a curved form with an expanding action which sufficiently supports the tentwalls without any pole or poles. At each end of the tent, however, I erect two vertical strutrods R, which have feet at their lower ends that rest upon pads p2 and at the top are connected by any suitable clasps to the end ribs at the points Where the guy-lines e connect with the tent ends. These guylines are fas;

tened to the ground by pegs, and their tension holds the tent stretched longitudinally, while the strut-rods R resist the downward pull of the ropes e on the end ribs.

Vhen the end flap A is folded upwardly to close the end of the tent, hook-shaped clasps A3 (see Fig. 2) are hooked over the end ribs, and the flaps B at the ends of the side pieces hang down over the same, and the cords CZ in the marginal hems are then drawn to contract the edges of these flaps and make a tight closure of the joint. The clasps A3 are attached to the edges of the end flaps A', and two or more of said clasps are used. In accomplishing this the loop d' at the bottom end of each draw-string is passed through the ring 1', Fig. 6, attached to the corner of the door, and a peg g is driven through this loop, so as to 4form a firm anchorage for this end of each draw-cord. The other ends of the drawcords may be fastened to the guyrope e or they may be fastened to each other.

I do not claim, broadly, the spring expanding-ribs, as these are shown in my prior patent, No. 659,981. In my present invention the expanding-ribs are made to lap past each other and are formed with terminal hooks that reciprocally lock to form a stiff and unitary arched support without any ridge-pole.

It desired, the entire tent may when made large enough for two persons be made in two sections joined together in the middle on the transverse dotted line Figs. 4t and 5, so that one-half of the tent may be carried by each person.

.Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

l. A tent having two sidcpieces, each side piece being provided with a series of spring distending-ribs having at the top hook-shaped ends adapted to lap past and reciprocally lock into each other to form a continuous sti and arched expanding support for the canvas substantially as described.

2. A tenthaving springing side ribs formed at the bottom into loop-shaped feet provided with anchorage-spurs as described.

A tent having two side pieces, each side piece having spring-ribs with enlarged feet at their lower ends and terminal hooks at the top interlocking as described.

Lt. The combination with a tent having a bowed and elastic end support; of two vertical strut-rods arranged one on each side ofthe center and connected to the bowed end support and having enlarged feet at their lower ends and guy-ropes connected to the end of the tent at the points of connection of these strut-rods with the bowed end support substantially as described.

5. A tent consisting oi' a bottom section ot' fabric with projecting side flaps and end flaps, and detachable side pieces withtransversely-arranged distending-ribs, said side pieces being detachably secured to the side flaps, and the end ilaps being arranged to be turned upto form the end walls of the tent substantially as described.

G. A tent comprising a bottom of fabric having end aps to form the end wall of the tent, and side sections of fabric having transverse spring-ribs and also end flaps having draw-cords in their edges adapted to contract the edges of the end flaps of the side pieces over the end flaps of the Hoor-sections substantially as described.

7. The combination in a tent, of a fioorsection having a ring attached to its edge, a side piece of fabric having end flaps with draw-cords in the edges of said end Iiaps, said draw-cords being formed with a terminal loop adapted to be passed through the ring, and a peg extending through the loop of the draw-cord outside of the ring to effeet an anchorage of the tent to the ground, substantially as described.

TIIADDEUS D. MCCALL.

Vitnesses:

PAUL CANANKAF, B ERNARDINO ALoNso. 

